By Kevin McLaughlin
During summer 2020, sleepaway camps in New York were unusually quiet. This came as a result of Governor Andrew Cuomo shutting down all sleepaway camps in the state, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However day camps, such as Irvington Day Camp, were allowed to open, with a limited capacity of children, social distancing, mandatory masks, and other rules to help stop the spread.
However, this year Governor Cuomo announced that day camps and sleepaway camps in New York will be allowed to open this summer — of course with many restrictions. These restrictions have not yet been detailed, as we wait to see how bad coronavirus is this summer. The restrictions will also most likely vary depending on how big the camp is, where it is located, etc.
The official Irvington website released a statement earlier this month, saying, “Our staff is working hard with our professional society, The Irvington School District and the Westchester County Department of Health to put together our Summer Day Camp. We do expect to hold camp but still need time to work out what the final product will look like.”
Experts contend that sleepaway camps and day camps are good for children’s mental health — spending time with friends, making new friends, staying active. Camps also are important to the state of New York as a source of seasonal employment. According to Timesunion.com, camps in New York employ about 60,000 people for the months of July and August.
With people getting vaccinated and the positivity rate declining, it is increasingly likely that we see a somewhat normal summer, including summer camps in New York.
